Blood is thicker than water
by diabloshocker
Summary: Post DH:When a youmg girl discovers she's a witch, to the contempt of her family.  And when she becomes friends with Lily and Hugo, they will all discover that old wounds are hard to heal.
1. Prologue part 1  An unexpected letter

Authors note: We do not own the rights to Harry Potter or any of the characters therein, they are the property of J.K.Rowling. 

This is the joint work of Diabloshocker and Plushielove.

Harry had just sat down with a nice cup of tea, wondering what possessed him to have three kids, but more what made him think he could take the three of them shopping in Diagon Alley without Ginny.

Looking over at a her picture, he smiled remembering why, and also thanking god for Molly Weasley, god's gift to parents and doting grandmother. Not surprised to find Ron and Hermiones kids there, Ron having dropped them off earlier claming he had to work, which Harry thought was strange as he it was suppose to be his day off too. He often wondered how Molly did it having had seven kids of her own, when he found it difficult with three and Ron with two.

Harry unfolded the daily prophet, the few hours peace and quiet until the kids came home again, a least when they did Ginny would be there, she had gone of to interview the Holy Head Harpies new seeker, she always loved visiting her old team, when he heard the distinct pop of someone apparating outside, he hoped it was Ron and not some urgent request for him to go into the office.

When the person knocked Harry feared the worst, "come in" Harry said putting down the paper and looking to the door. To his surprise it was his brother-in-law Percy who came in,

"Hello Harry"

"Percy how many times have we told you, you don't have to knock" said Harry.

"Oh well, I have a letter for you, it came via the muggle post system, one our people who deal with the delivery of letters to muggle born children caught it and passed to the ministry. I was on my way home and thought I would deliver it to you."

Harry took the letter, looked at it and turned it over.

To Harry Potter

Somewhere in the wizarding world

Urgent.

Harry stared bewildered,

"Why would a muggle want to contact you?" Percy enquired, looking confused.

"I don't know" replied Harry, obviously perplexed.

"Well anyway I have to go" Percy said, looking curious and hopeful of answers, receiving no joy, he in the end left.

Harry returned to the letter going back to his chair he flipped the letter over a few times looking for an clue who had sent it, giving up he opened it taking out the single piece of paper within, checking the envelope for any thing else, he opened the letter and read:

Hello Harry

Would you please come and see me one evening please, as soon as possible.

I need to speak to you on a matter of some urgency.

Your Sincerely.

Dudley Dursley

12 Hawthorn Drive

Little Whinging.

"Dudley, what would Dudley want to see me about?"

"What was that dear?" Ginny said as she came through the door, Harry had not even heard her apparate. Looking up at his wife confused "sorry", he apologised.

"Who wants to see you dear?" Ginny enquired.

Shaking his head "Sorry, I just got a letter from my cousin Dudley" he replied.

"Your cousin Dudley Dursley," Ginny asked, wanting clarification. "But what would he want to talk to you about, but better yet how did know where to send the letter" said Ginny looking both confused and angry at the news.

She new about the Dursley's and the way they treated Harry, and how as a child Dudley had picked on Harry and made his life if it was possible, even more miserable.

He explained that Percy had brought the letter, and how it arrived.

"Well are you going to go and see him?" Ginny asked, looking apprehensive.

"I don't know" replied Harry. Unsure.

"Well I think you should" Ginny responded, surprising Harry.

"But, but" stumbled Harry, thinking about the Dursleys and Dudley. The last time he was at 4 Privet drive Dudley had thanked Harry for saving his life the previous year when he and Harry were attacked by two dementors which had tried to administer the dementors kiss on Dudley. Thinking, Harry said again he did not know, looking at his wife he finally said,

"I have to go, don't I, I have to know what would make Dudley contact me after all this time" he admitted reluctantly, ruled by his own natural curiosity. Taking another look at the letter Ginny gave a knowing smile and asked "so when did you drop the kids of with my mum" hoping to lighten the mood.


	2. Prologue part 2  Old wounds reopened

It was a warm summers evening when Harry arrived at Hawthorn drive, looking around at the houses, he experienced a sense of deja-vu, they seemed very familiar, he found it hard to believe that this place was not Privet drive, it was as if someone had simply picked it up, moved it somewhere else and renamed it.

Harry stopped the car at the end of the road to one take a long deep breath and thought of what he was going to say. He could not help thinking that it was weird to have driven here to see Dudley when he could of just apparated, but Hermiony had insisted that he drive, so that it would make a better impression with his cousin who had always been encouraged to be scared of magic.

"What was he doing here" he thought as he put the car in gear and set off up the road looking for number 12.

Standing outside the door Harry could still not think what he was going to say or what the cryptic message was about. Knocking on the door he secretly hoped that no one was home but when the door opened Harry could not believe it, he had to take a second look, thinking it was his Uncle Vernon but without the walrus moustache.

"Hello Big-D" said Harry

"Hello Harry" said Dudley looking over his cousin nervously, ever since Harry had went away to that school Dudley had been scared of what wizards could do, this was only natural as his first meeting with a wizard had resulted in him growing a pig's tail, which was removed privately at a hospital in London so as to make sure the neighbours would not find out, but even his tongue growing to monsters size did not compare to that night. He still did not properly understand what had happened to him, that feeling as if happiness had been removed from the world and he would never be happy again, when it would suddenly go cold only his wife noticed that he would suddenly tense up and look around for some invisible enemy.

"Well are you going to invite me in, or …." Harry started, but Dudley quickly looked up and down the street and then back at Harry before moving out of the way to allow him in, without saying a word.

Nervously looking round the house, he waited for someone to break the silence. Dudley just looked at him again; Harry was wearing a pair of stonewashed jeans and a knitted jumper and looked thankfully quite normal. Moving past Harry, Dudley made his way through to the kitchen were Harry saw a very thin woman with a hocked nose and the pinched look of someone who had smelt something unpleasant, she reminded Harry very much of his aunt Petunia. She looked nervously from Harry to Dudley and then back down at her cup.

Breaking the silence, Harry asked, "So, what's so urgent? Why have you contacted me after all this time?"

Dudley looked uncomfortable, before replying,

"We have a problem, or rather our daughter does." Harry heard a wet sniffle emit from Dudley's wife.

"What's the problem?" enquired Harry, still confused.

Dudley paused for moment, before replying, as if thinking on how to phrase the reply.

"Our daughter, she's…….. strange, like you. Odd things happen around her………, she's different." Dudley couldn't look at Harry as he said this, preferring to stare at the floor.

Harry was genuinely shocked, this was the last thing he was expecting. He had to take a minute to think, before he blurted out,

"So you think she's a witch?" At this Dudley's wife burst into tears, and Dudley looked upset. He went over and put a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.

"We think she's one of you, yes" spat Dudley, his mouth set in a thin line, reminiscent of his mother.

Harry was shocked, but asked tentatively, "So, you want me to help. Take her shopping, teach her about magic?"

"No!" said Dudley angrily, "We want you to cure her."

Harry saw red, "Cure her, cure her, she hasn't got a disease you know, she's a witch."

Dudley took a step back, alarmed, his eye's darting to look at Harry's hands.

"What you think I can just go up there and wave a magic wand and say, 'magico ao goo wayo'" stormed Harry "I don't know what I was thinking, everybody thought that this was an effort to heal old wounds, but no, Ron was right, he said you wouldn't change, still thinking we're freaks"

Dudley looked nervously around the room, he had seen what happened when Harry lost his temper, wand or not, he still remembered seeing his Aunt Margret bouncing of the ceiling and out the door slowly climbing into the air like a giant balloon.

Harry was still shouting, "I knew I should not have come this was as big a mistake as when I tried to invite you to my wedding and all I got from your lot was scorn, how you would not be paying for a thing and how I had to marry her as she was pregnant"

Dudley finally found strength enough to speak, "listen Potter my family looked after you at great personal risk I might add, you owe us", looking Harry dead in the eyes "I could have died the night thoughts things attacked you, now you will help us with our daughter" looking Harry in the eyes for the first time since Harry had arrived.

"Unlike you our daughter will not be going to some freak school, she is a normal girl we do not have any freaks like you in this family" stated Dudley's wife, speaking for the first time.

Harry could not believe it, he was stunned into silence, she even sounded like his aunt. Giving them both an insincere smile,

"Well I think I should thank you for all the care and kindness you al showed me growing up, the room under the stairs with the spiders, the hand me down clothes that were miles to big for me, the broken toys, the never-ending reminders that I was never a part of this family, the insults and lies about my father and mother" taking a step towards them both "Well you can try to keep your freak daughter her but she will get a letter and you could try to ignore it as much as you want but some one from the ministry will come round and she will go to Hogwarts" storming from the house feeling more angry than he had in years, he turned and shouted "and it serves you right" getting in the car and peeling away from Hawthorn Drive at speed.

No one seemed to have noticed the little girl hiding at the top of the stairs listening to her dad, mum and the stranger with the messy black hair shouting and using words like Hogwarts, quietly she crept back into her room before someone found her.


	3. Chapter 1  The woman from the Ministry

_4 years later_

Hazel Dursley always knew she was different, sometimes she wondered if she was adopted or found on the doorstep. For one thing, she looked nothing like her parents or grandparents, with her dark red hair and bottle green eyes, and for another, it was her parents attitude towards her.

It hadn't always been like this, she could remember times when she never felt like an outsider, when they seemed like a family. Hazel could not really pinpoint the time when everything changed, but as time went on, the greater the divide became. She couldn't understand why her parent's looked at her with sadness and what sometimes looked like fear, or like when odd things happened, they would give her a look as if she was to blame. Also lately, whenever her grandparents came over, her father had took to pulling Hazel to one side, telling her not to pull any funny business, what funny business?

Recently however, her father's behaviour had become really strange, particularly since that day when something had arrived in the post that had really upset him. He had taken to making sure to collect the post in the morning, where she used to collect it and bring it to breakfast. He had also taken to looking to the sky with fearful looks as if expecting to see something.

Still, Hazel had no inkling of how much her life was about to change.

This particular Saturday felt like any other day, Hazel sat in her room wondering what to do with the rest of the summer holidays. It was then that a knock came at the door, she heard someone answer it, then her fathers voice in what seemed like a heated discussion with a voice she did not recognise, the voices became more muffled as they moved from the hallway into another room. Hazel was able to make out the occasional word, like 'ministry' and 'dentist's', nothing really of interest, but then came a word she had not heard in years 'Hogwart's' and was reminded of the night the messy haired stranger came. She was about to sneak onto the landing, to see if she could hear more, when to her surprise her father called out her name, telling her to come downstairs immediately.

Hazel came downstairs to find her father and mother in the living room with a bushy brown haired woman, who immediately flashed Hazel a warm smile. Her parents kept giving the woman nervous glances, which Hazel could not understand, the woman looked perfectly normal to her.

"Hazel", her father said quite stiffly, "This is Hermiony…"

"Granger", the woman interrupted, holding her hand out in greeting.

Hazel took the woman's hand feeling confused looking from the woman to her parents seeking answers.

"I am here from the Ministry" said the Miss Granger smiling at her. At this statement Hazel became even more confused 'what would the government want with an 11 year old'

"She is here to take you out for the day" piped in her dad with a forced smile on his face staring at Miss Granger.

"But where are we going and……" Hazel began to ask, when the Miss Granger cut in "Oh, its ok we will discus all of that when we get there, now do you want to get ready and we'll be off"

She looked to her father who gave a curt nod, she ran upstairs wondering what was going on.

Leaving the house, she followed Miss Granger to her car. After fastening her seatbelt, Hazel finally asked, "So, where are we going?"

"London", Miss Granger replied.

They both then lapsed into silence, Hazel lost in her own thoughts, which continued for the rest of the journey, when they pulled up in front of a dingy pub, squashed between two shops.

"Well, here we are." Said Miss Granger brightly, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Hazel followed her, surprised when they entered the dingy pub. The interior was quite dark, with a lot of strangely dressed people. Miss Granger walked straight up to the bar and addressed the odd looking barman.

"Could I have a private room Tom, for a small while, oh and two butterbeers?" she asked.

"Of course Mrs Weasley." He replied, proceeding to show them to a private room, with a tray carrying two bottles and glasses. He then left, closing the door after himself, leaving them alone.

"Now" said Miss Granger, "I bet your wondering what is going on." As if reading Hazel's thoughts.

"Just a bit" she replied quietly, staring at her glass.

Miss Granger poured the contents of the bottles into the glasses, then continued.

"Well, as you know, I work for the Ministry…"

"The Ministry?" Hazel said, looking confused and scared.

Miss Granger took a deep breath, before saying, "The Ministry of Magic"

Hazel looked at her like she was crazy, moving her chair back a few inches.

She rushed on, "I know how you feel, I was the same when I found out."

Pausing, she took a swig of her drink, then smiled at Hazel, before continuing.

"Haven't you ever noticed strange thing's happen around you, when you're angry or upset?"

Hazel's eyes went wide remembering odd occurrences that could not be explained, and her father's odd comments.

"You see, you're…." Miss Granger paused as though thinking through what to say next. "Well, there's no easy way to say this, you're a witch!"

Hazel stared "A what?"

"A witch" replied Miss Granger "and know not like the ones you may have read about in fairy tails or seen in films, we don't go around kidnapping children and stuffing them in ovens, here have some of you butterbeer"

Hazel picked up her glass and took a drink still staring at Miss Granger wondering whether to believe her or to run away from the crazy lady.

"You see Hazel, magic is real. Witches and wizard's live along side non magical people." She explained.

"So, are my parents magical?" queried Hazel, still quite sceptical.

"Well no," Miss Granger replied, "There are two types of witches and wizard. Those born of magical parents and those born of non magical parents, like you and me."

"You're parents were not magical?" Hazel asked, surprised.

"No," she laughed, "They were dentists, as unmagical as you can get, in fact they were very bemused when they found out."

Hazel then asked directly, "If magic is real, why does the whole world not know?"

For the first time Miss Granger looked uncomfortable, "Not everyone is as understanding as my parents were, not everyone can accept it."

Changing the subject quickly, she told Hazel, "You have been accepted in to the best school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, Hogwarts." Smiling, handing her a letter.

**To Hazel Dursley**

**Second bedroom**

**12 Hawthorn Drive**

**Little Whinging**

Turning over the envelope, she found it sealed with red wax above that a crest with the words above:

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

She looked up at Miss Granger, who smiled at her reassuringly, before opening the envelope and removing the pieces of parchment within.

The first was a letter welcoming here to the school, and requesting her presence at Kings cross station on the 1st September at 10:45 on platform 9 ¾, she looked at the ticket then at Miss Granger questioningly.

"Platform 9 ¾?"

"Oh don't worry about that, I will be there to make sure you get on the train" replied Miss Granger.

The other was a list of books and supplies that she would need. 'Robes, pointed hat, dragon hide gloves, winter cloak, standard book of spells (Grade 1), and wand' shaking her head finally deciding that Miss Granger was crazy and this was some kind of elaborate practical joke, Hazel finally asked "Were are we going to buy all this, I don't remember the local super market stocking this"

"Finish your drink and we will go shopping" Miss Granger laughed. Hazel picked up her glass and started drinking, just waiting for the man to jump out with the camera and tell her that she is on TV. They sat in silence Hazel listening to the noises coming from the bar. When they had both finished their drinks they stood up and Miss Granger led her through the bar to the back of the pub to where the bins were, taking out what looked like a stick from her back she tapped one of the bricks in the wall. Hazel looked around thinking this is it, this is where they jump out and yell 'got you.'

Turning back to the wall the bricks started to move apart and create and opening onto a street. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Staring at the street in wonder Hazel realized Miss Granger was not crazy, it was real, magic is real.


	4. Chapter 2  A magical place

Staring in wonder at the street in front of her, Hazel could not help pinching her leg just in case this was a dream, looking at Miss Granger in awe, the bushy haired woman smiled and held out her hand. They stepped together through the arch and down the street, Hazel eyes could not take it all in, looking all around at the shops and people dressed in strange clothes and children laughing and running around, wondering why they had stopped .

Miss Granger asked "Have you got you school list?"

Taking the envelope out of her pocket she found the list and looked at it properly for the first time:

**Required Book and Equipment List.**

**UNIFORM**

**First-year students will require:**

**Three sets of plain robes (black)**

**One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

**One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

**One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**

**COURSE BOOKS**

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**

**A Beginner's Guild to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**

**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**

**Fantastic Beasts and Were to Find Them by Newt Scamander**

**The Dark Forces: A Guild to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble**

**OTHER EQUIPMENT**

**1 Wand**

**1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**

**1 Set glass or crystal phials**

**1 Telescope**

**1 Set brass scales**

**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**

"Well what do you want to get first your books or your wand" Miss Granger asked brightly.

"Wand please" said Hazel excitedly, "but... I don't have any money" all of her euphoria gone.

"Don't worry the ministry provides a fund for people like you we will be able to get everything you need, right so you want a wand, off to Olivanders" leading the young girl to an old looking shop, the door chimed softly when they entered looking around at all the boxes stacked on the walls, she heard someone coming from the back room, the old man stared first at the girl, and seemed to be about to say something when Miss Granger shook her head and started talking,

"Good morning mister Olivander, this is Hazel Dursley, she is a new student at Hogwarts and as her parents are muggles, I have been asked to help her get everything she needs"

"Of course miss….." started Olivander but again Hazel could have sworn she seen Miss Granger shake her head again.

Mister Olivander looked confused, "Of course the young lady needs a wand, let me see" moving off down the rows of boxes he stopped took down a box from the bottom of the pile "here try this, 9 ½ inches Yew and dragon heart string" handing the wand to the girl well give it a try, flicking his wrist. Hazel took it looked at the old man wondering what to do she just shrugged and flicked her wrist, something shot out of the end and knocked over a stack of wands. Scared, Hazel looked the old man, who smiled at her,

"No, No not the one" taking the wand of her he started to look around again, when he stopped looked back at the girl, smiled and moved across the selves and selected another box,

"Here try this one" handing the girl the new wand. Taking it looking worried, she did not want knock over or break anything 'please' she thought closing her eyes and flicked her wrist a tingling sensation ran up her arm she risked opening her eyes enough to see that the tip of the wand was glowing "yes I see the similarities are not just physical" said Olivander softly. Wondering what he meant, she opened her eyes and looked at the old man,

"9 ¾ inch willow and unicorn hair, very good for charm work" he said back to his usual tone. Miss Granger took some money out of a small pouch and paid for the wand, thanked Olivander and led the confused young woman out of the shop.

"Ok we have your wand, I know you can get your robes and cloak and I will get your books and things how does that sound" felling a little disappointed about not looking at more shops, Hazel simply nodded, and followed her to 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions', looking down at Hazel.

"Now you just go in and tell the lady that you're a new student at Hogwarts and I will meet you inside in a little while" said Miss Granger.

She went inside nervously looking around at the other people getting measured and having robes altered, when a woman walked over looking harassed,

"New Hogwarts student?" said the woman, Hazel just nodded.

"This way" and walked of. Tentatively Hazel followed to where the woman waited in front of a two full length mirrors guiding here on to a small raised platform.

"Raise your arms" pulling Hazels arms up at her side, slipping some robes over her head, in a blur the woman measured and pinned the robes. "Go wait up front, they will be ready in a few minutes." The woman told Hazel, sending her off.

Hazel sat down at the front of the shop to wait, when Miss Granger came in carrying some bags. Walking up to the counter, she talked to the shop assistant handing over some money, then called Hazel over, handing her the package containing the robes.

"Just one last shop now." Said Miss Ganger brightly, walking out the door. Hazel followed her.

They walked down Diagon Alley, Hazels eyes kept wondering around looking at the shops and people her eyes were particularly drawn to a shop with colourful windows filled with brightly coloured boxes, full of different noises, and what looked like mini firework displays going off, called Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

They continued down the street until they came to a stop in front of a shop with a menagerie of animals on display. They went in, the bell above the door announcing their entrance.

"Why are we here?" Hazel asked, gazing round at the animals.

"I thought you might like a pet, plus they can be very useful for certain classes. Owls are very useful for carrying post and cats make very good companions." Miss Granger told her.

Hazel's eyes came to rest on one animal, "What about rats?"

Miss Granger's eyes widened and she replied rather forcefully, "No, you don't want a rat, definitely not a rat."

Hazel was surprised at her reaction, but then her eyes fell on a tawny owl, which raised its head and looked right back at her.

"Do you want that one?" Miss Granger asked, drawing Hazel's attention away from the owl, unconsciously she found herself nodding. Soon Hazel found herself carrying the cage containing the owl out the shop, feeling a sense of wonder and joy.

Before she knew it they were back in the car, on her way home feeling exhilarated and tired, she felt her eyelids drooped and the next thing she knew they were at her house. Slowly waking up looking around, she saw the cage containing the owl, 'well it was not a dream then' thought Hazel.

Helping Miss Granger unload the car and carrying the cage to the door. Dudley opened the door a disgusted look on his face looking up and down the street to see if someone was watching.

"Well Hazel, I will see you soon" said Miss Granger, turning she walked back to her car. Hazel ran up stairs and watched Miss Granger leave, then as the weight of the days events finally caught up with her, the last thing she thought as she drifted of to sleep, was that for the first time ever she was looking forward to school.


End file.
